You Don't Always Get A Second Chance
by unrequited1984
Summary: Clarissa wonders after Man in the Mansion if she could get a second chance at love. When I told myself they wouldn't forget Jack on Valentines Day I didn't really count on what they did to him, but hopefully you'll all like what I did for him! Hodgela!


Clarissa looked in the mirror and pulled the brush through her hair one more time. She pondered her reflection. Blue shirt, his favorite color on her; the earrings he had bought her their first Christmas together and finally she looked at the other piece of jewelry on her dresser. The ring, would it be too much, too obvious? She put it on her right hand, figuring it had been so long he probably wouldn't recognize it in the first place.

On the drive over she contemplated her actions. It wasn't that she didn't still love Terry; or that she even still had feelings for Jack. In fact she really hadn't thought about him for years. Their relationship had ended badly and she hadn't seen the need to dwell on the bad when there was so much good in front of her. But then Terry had died, and the future had dimmed. Considering the mysterious circumstances she was unsure of how much of her late husband's fortune she would be getting, and there were certain standards that she was used to. Clarissa was starting to worry about her future within society, that was until Jack Hodgins showed up on her stoop. She wasn't using him, after all where once there was love there can be love again, and it was obvious that he still cared about her, why else would he have come to visit her?

Pulling up to the old house she was transported to a different time. Had it really been so long? She could still remember pushing the old beat up car that drove his parents crazy into the garage after sneaking off to a concert, or their first time making love in the pool she could just glimpse through the shrubbery. And looking up she could see the balcony off his master suite where he had proposed to her.

Walking up to the front door she paused, her hand on the doorbell, what if he didn't want to see her? What if he thought it was too soon? But she was here and she figured she could always just play it as two old friends catching up after years apart. Firming up her plan of action she took a deep breath and rang the bell.

From within she heard a woman's voice, the words muffled at first until the woman was apparently right against the door, "Let me go Hodgie! What if it's Bren, I told her I'd have lunch with her and then blew her off."

A second later the door was flung open and she was faced with a woman she remember as being Angela Montenegro, who had testified at the hearing. "Hi."

It seemed to take the woman a second to adjust before a smile came across her face, whether it was real or not, Clarissa couldn't tell.

"Clarissa, how nice to see you."

She saw an arm being thrown around Angela's waist and Hodgins head popped around the door frame, "Clarissa? Hey, this is a surprise!"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and she felt a blush run across her face as she silently cursed her luck, she was expecting him to be alone, "Hey Jack, Ms. Montenegro. I just thought I'd stop by and thank you for all you've done Jack, well and to ask you to pass the message to all your colleagues. And to maybe catch up a bit, there wasn't much time with all that was going on."

He nodded and looked at Angela, "We just finished dinner but why don't you come in for some dessert or a drink or something?"

Angela nodded and pulled away from Jack, seemingly to allow her to enter, though Clarissa felt there might be more to the action.

As they adjourned to the study it was like entering a time warp, the furniture was the same, as were the paintings on the wall with one exception. She walked over to the piece, it was dark with no real shapes but the most chaotic movement she had seen in a painting. "Hodgins, this is new. Who's the artist, the emotion is exquisite, and I get such a sense of pain and sadness."

Hodgins had led Angela to the couch and took her hand, "That was actually done by Angela. She's pretty amazing isn't she?"

Clarissa looked at the spot where they were sitting and tried not to cringe, she had lost her virginity on that couch, "Yeah, amazing. Jack, about that drink?"

He jumped up and headed towards the kitchen, "Yeah, I'll be right back. Angie can I get you a Rum and Coke?"

Angela nodded. He smiled at her, "Clarissa, you still drink the 007 martini?"

Clarissa looked at the couch again and decided on the wingback across from it, "Yeah, that would be great."

As Jack left the room Clarissa felt suddenly uncomfortable being left alone with Angela. "Your art is amazing."

Angela gave a wistful look at the painting, "Thank you, I did that one after I lost someone close to me. But I guess life moves on."

She couldn't help but look at the door where Hodgins had exited, "Yeah it does. So have you known Jack long?"

Angela's inquiring smile dimmed a little, "I've known him for about 4 years, we've worked a lot of cases together."

Oh the questions was begging to be asked and Clarissa couldn't help but pry, "And personally?"

The smile had now completely disappeared, "Look, I can see where this is going. When you first showed up I thought it wasn't possible considering your husband just died but I can see I gave you too much credit. If you're here looking for a backup husband to make sure you live the life you've become accustomed to you can think again. Jack is quite happily taken by me, so you can take that old engagement ring I see sparkling on your right hand and put it away. Hodgins isn't interested in reinstating it to your other hand, and I have no interest in sitting here while you pretend to be the grieving widow and go over old times in hopes that he'll take pity on you and take you back. Have I made myself clear?"

Clarissa felt like she had just been slapped, and in a way she had been. This woman, this lower class artist, had just as much called her a money grabbing whore, and was she going to take it?

Before the decision could be made Jack had returned with drink and putting a glass in front of Angela leant over to give her a passionate kiss and to whisper something into her ear. While his head was bent into her neck the two women met eye to eye, the message was clear. Jack was happy, and there really wasn't much she could do, she had already ruined one of his relationships, she shouldn't try and ruin any more.

Reaching into her coat she pressed a button on her cell phone causing it to beep loudly, apologizing to the couple she answered and spoke to nobody, "Yes? Does it have to be tonight? Alright, I'll be there shortly."

Looking apologetically at Jack as he put her drink down on the table she took a small sip before digging around in her purse for her car keys, "I'm so sorry, but that was the lawyer. They said they need to talk about what the outcome of the trial is going to do to affect the distribution of Terry's estate. He insists on seeing me tonight."

Angela's smile was back, "Ah, that's too bad. Maybe another night."

Jack nodded in agreement, "Definitely. You seem to have remembered how to get to the old stack of bricks, come by sometime and have dinner with us, I would like to catch up."

Clarissa backed towards the door, knowing she'd never see Jack Hodgins again, "Yeah, of course. Goodbye Jack, Ms. Montenegro."

Leaving the house she looked back and could make out the shadows of two individuals, they started out apart, independent. But as she watched from her car she saw the shadows slowly intertwine till she couldn't tell them apart and Clarissa couldn't help it. She smiled because she knew that Jack had finally found what he'd been looking for his whole life. A woman to share his life, and not care that he was one of the wealthiest men in America, or that he studied bugs and slime for a living. Jack had found his soulmate, and Clarissa slowly took the ring off her right hand and tossing it into the glove department, she decided she was happy for him.


End file.
